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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803105">The Second Arrest of Paul Bennett</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear'>knightinpinkunderwear</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 Dexter &amp; Criminal Minds [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dexter (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Canon Compliant, Cussing, Domestic Violence, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, F/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Pre-Canon, Rescue, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:00:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Deb gets called in on a domestic disturbance by a kid. </p><p>Whumptober Day 3:<br/>Theme: My Way or the Highway<br/>Prompt: Manhandled</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rita Bennett &amp; Debra Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 Dexter &amp; Criminal Minds [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Second Arrest of Paul Bennett</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WARNING: read all tags, this story covers the topics of domestic abuse and rape, and Paul generally being unpleasant.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was much too normal an occurrence. Paul high off his ass on heroin or whatever it was this time around and deciding that she owed him something from the mere fact she was his wife. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why had she fallen for him? After John, she’d just wanted to escape. And Paul had seemed so nice at the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now it seemed too late to ever get away from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wishes he was back in prison, that someone would catch him with heroin again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That way she wouldn’t have to show the bruises and face the shame that she’d let him do this to her, time and time again. But who would believe her that her husband raped her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t even know if Cody had been an honest accident from one of the good nights or…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wouldn’t change how she loved the toddler but she can’t help but wonder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least Cody is too little to understand. But Astor isn’t. And it hurts that her only way of protecting her kids was letting their father show them how weak she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paul would never hurt the kids. She has to tell herself that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And even if Cody doesn’t understand he is still quite a bit afraid of his father, because Astor was, because his mother was. She hopes that they know that Paul would never hurt them, that she would never let him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they’re still afraid of him, because he hurts their mommy, and their Mommy does nothing about it. She wonders about the poor example she’s setting for them, but Paul gets what he wants, and if it isn’t easy he will keep escalating until he can get it with force. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tonight was one of the bad nights. One of the nights she hoped she would get to tell him no and have him listen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t know why she still has hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can feel the new bruises forming over older ones. Purple and red to cover green. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gropes her so hard she sometimes wishes those parts of her would come off and start growing anew with nerves and skin that doesn’t remember the bruises and the pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wants a new body, that is her own to decide what happens to it. A body that hasn’t been used and abused by Paul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the door crashes open and there are two cops and little Astor standing behind them, with the phone in a white-knuckled grip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She called the cops on Paul. She called the cops on him for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Rita burns with shame, her five-year-old daughter had to call the cops on her abusive husband because she wasn’t strong enough to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least Paul hadn’t gotten her clothes off yet, it’s bad enough that they can see the bruises that Astor called them in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head is spinning. Paul had hit it with something, or maybe his hands had been on her throat. She can’t remember. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On the ground motherfucker!” the taller officer shouts, very crassly. She doesn’t even look ashamed for cussing in front of Astor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It is all a blur but Paul gets arrested and the taller officer stays with her until the ambulance arrives. She helps coax Cody out from where he’s hidden under his bed and tells Astor how brave she was for calling the cops on Daddy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries to stop cussing but messes up frequently. Rita doesn’t mind that much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her kids have seen and heard far worse than the F-bomb and she’d let it happen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Officer Debra Morgan (the tall one) stays with her as the paramedic checks her out and promises to stay parked outside until morning so she wouldn’t be alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Debra helps her escape the phantom feeling of Paul’s hands still on her, holding too tightly and pulling and shoving. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oof, this one was rough to write.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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